In AD 66, nationalist and religious revolutionaries in Judaea led a ferocious revolt of the Jewish people against the authority of mighty Rome, culminating in the greatest upheaval and savagery the world had known up to that time. By the end of the conflict seven years later, over one million Jews had perished and tens of thousands were sold into slavery. Until the Holocaust, it remained the greatest tragedy ever endured by a people.

How had this once prosperous region been laid low, and by what process did its fratricidal feuds take it down a slippery slope to utter annihilation? Fortunately for us, there was an eyewitness to the historical events: Joseph ben Matthias, known to posterity as Flavius Josephus.

In beautifully written and clearly understood prose, Josephus sets out to explain the origin of the conflict. He describes how the fanatical zealots came to dominate the political life of Judaea, illustrates how the Romans were drawn into the fight, and shows how the war was carried on by both sides, ending with the famous siege of the fortress of Masada.

The Jewish War is one of the most important histories to survive from ancient times, dealing as it does with a subject of which there are very few sources. This is an engaging and heartfelt chronicle by an eyewitness who lived through it all.

Download and start listening now!

BK_ACON_000153

Listener Opinions

TJ | 2/20/2014

" This book is so boring...it reads like the old testament but set in the first century AD...it is an interesting read if you are into the history of christianity or judaism. "

Ben | 2/12/2014

" It's about the destruction of Jerusalem around AD 70. If you want to know what the abomination of desolation is all about, read it. But beware... "

Paul Dubuc | 2/12/2014

" I bought this book to read before a trip to Israel in 1999. It's a very readable English translation. This gives Josephus' account of the war between the Romans and the Jews in the 1st century. Most fascinating (and horrible) are the accounts of the destruction of Gamla and Jerusalem and the final siege of Masada. Scholars are critical of Josephus because he puts too much of himself into the story and because it is probably biased in favor of his Roman benefactors. (Josephus began fighting against the Romans, but then came over to their side when he was captured and convinced of the hopelessness of the rebellion. He tried to convince the Jews not to fight, but to accept Roman rule. He wrote this history for the Romans' benefit after the war.) Nevertheless, there are very few good historical accounts of this place and time. Reading it gives you a taste of what life would have been like in that ancient land during this terrible period. It's well worth the time spent reading it, especially if you plan to visit the places described. "

Ariadna73 | 1/19/2014

" It is fascinating to see how the Romans conquered their territories: they let the peoples believe in whatever gods they had, as long as they paid tribute to the Cesar. It was a comfortable deal for all parties involved, but -of course- human beings would never be contempt with what they have, and would want more, and that is how they engage in all those endless and meaningless wars; many of that are masterfully described in this volume. "

Valerie | 1/14/2014

" The first part was hard to get into but I enjoyed the last part. Interesting how the Jews were the toughest nation to conquer of the whole Roman empire and also how the corruption and internal fighting of the Jews was alot of their downfall. "

Jennifer | 1/5/2014

" Dry as the desert. You were expecting something different? "

Amanda Bensen | 12/27/2013

" It's for work... don't plan to read more than I need to for fact-checking an article about Herod the Great...but it's pretty interesting! "

Andre | 12/9/2013

" Amazing primary source from the Roman Age. "

Jamie | 12/4/2013

" Too bad we have to depend upon a traitor to his country for much of our insight into this war. I guess everyone else was too busy dying. "

Bryan Blakeman | 8/15/2013

" It is interesting to see the 'New Testament' history is missing from real 1st century reports.... "

Garrett | 8/1/2013

" I've listened the first half of this book. Josephus is an excellent historian of the inter-Testamentary period and the early Roman period of the Jewish people and lands. If you're interested in what led up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, this is the book to read. "

Santos | 5/2/2013

" this is a wonder history; i believe that this men is one of the better writter in the history "

Luis Francisco | 4/15/2013

" I really need a new translation in contemporary lenguages "

Meirav Rath | 4/2/2013

" It was a hard read, I must admit it, but it was a fascinating read, too. I don't like Josephus' personal history but when he's the only one to have recorded the falling of the Second Temple, you have to read it. I highly recommend this book to buffs of the era. "

Jeremy Balling | 3/1/2013

" great book of how again another country got sick of the jews and kicked thier ass in a war, but at least Rome was one of the first to do it... "

David | 2/23/2013

" if you want to see how nasty war can be, read this book. extremism now and then. "

[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.